Portable hand tool for cleaning pipe joints



Dec. 13, 1966 5. swANsoN 3,290,711

PORTABLE HAND TOOL FOR CLEANING PIPE JOINTS Filed July 23, 1965 INVENTOR. 60S TA .SWA MSOA/ ATTORNEYS 3,290,711 PORTABLE HAND TOOL FOR CLEANING PIPE JOINTS Gosta Swanson, P.O. Box 26, Hollis, NH. Filed July 23, 1965, Sr. No. 474,347 8 Claims. (Cl. 15--104.03)

This invention relates to a portable hand tool device, rotatable by a conventional A-inch power drill, for wiping the inner and outer faces of a pipe, pipe joint coupling,

. or the like.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide handle supported pads to clean the inner surface of pipe joints, for example in US. Patent No. 2,168,497 to Schupp of August 8, 1939, No. 2,779,042 to Benny of January 29, 1957, or No. 3,075,219 to ()tt of January 29, 1963, the tool being hand turned to rotate the pads.

Rotary brushes for cleaning the inner faces of such joints when rotated under power, are disclosed in US.

Patents No. 2,922,174 to Mathews of January 26, 1960, and No. 3,000,026 to Prins of September 19, 1961, and a hand turned brush device for simultaneously cleaning the inside and outside faces of such joints is disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,287,545 to Wieck of June 23, 1945.

However, none of these patents teach a device rotatable in a power drill and having both inner and outer wiping means alternately and selectively movable int-o wiping engagement with the joint.

In this invention, the hand tool device includes a support with a shaft, fitting the chuck of a household type electric drill, and with detachable wiping pads, carried on flexible, resilient fingers at the forward end of the support, for wiping the inner face of the joint. A second set of fingers and detachable pads are mounted at the forward end of the tool for wiping the outer face of the joint. A member sleeved on the elongated support, through cam means, moves one set of pads into engagement while moving the other set of pads out of engagement with the respective joint faces.

The principal object of the invention is to provide in a single tool, means for wiping both the inner and outer faces of a joint, by power rotation, but with the wiping means alternately engaged rather than simultaneously engaged.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, rugged, low cost tool, fitting a %lIlCh power drill, and capable ofcleaning both the inside and the outside of a joint selectively, without unduly loading the motor of the drill.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be United States Patent apparent from the claims, the description of the drawing, and from the drawing, in which FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the preferred form of the invention, with parts broken away and in half section; FIGURE 2 is a side elevation in half section of the device shown in FIGURE 1, but with the parts moved to v clamped in the chuck 21 of a conventional electric motor powered hand drill 22, such as the fit-inch type much in use.

Q of the joint, such as the elbow 19, in order to secure a fluid tight joint. The inner face 25 of one joint element and the outer face 24 of the other joint element, are usually of the same diameter, to be in approximately the same common cylindrical plane when joined. For convenience of description herein, I call both faces a joint, having an inner and outer face, despite the fact that the joint is made after the wiping of the separate elements takes place.

The device 20 include the elongated, cylindrical support 26, having a forward end 27 and a rearward end 28, there being a shaft 29 at the rearward end which fits within the chuck 21 of drill 22.

First wiping means 31 is mounted at the forward end 27 of support 26, and preferably is in the form of a plurality of laterally spaced, longitudinally extending, flexible, resilient fingers, such as 32 and 33, connected at the bot torn by the common flange 34, the flange being detachably fixed to support 26 by screws 35. The fingers 32 and 33 are of leaf spring metal, and arcuate in cross section, to outline a hollow cylinder, or basket (FIGURE 4), and the free terminal ends 36 and 37 thereof are movable toward and away from the common plane of the faces of the joint.

A wiping pad holder 39, comprising a sheet metal backing 40, with under-curled edges 41 and 42, slidably fits around each finger, and includes a cut-out tongue 43 for frictionally holding the backing on the finger. A wiping pad 44 is secured to the backing 40, by suitable means, such as a layer of adhesive 45, each wiping pad having a wiping face 46 or 47. Thus, as shown in FIGURE 2, the wiping faces 46 or 47, on each finger mounted on the support, comprise outer faces thereon arranged to engage and wipe the inner face 25 of the joint. The pads 44 may be of felt, steel wool, or any other suitable material, and may be replaced as needed by sliding the same on, and off, the fingers. Each finger 32 or 33 also includes a cut-out tongue 48 or 49, to form camming surfaces 50 and 51 for a purpose to be described.

Second wiping means 54 is similar to wiping means 31, and preferably is also mounted on the forward end 27 of the elongated support 26. Second wiping means 54 also includes a plurality of laterally spaced, longitudinally extending fingers, such as 55 and 56, having free terminal ends 57 or 58, of arcuate cross section, and connected by the common flange 59 to outline a hollow cylinder, encircling the hollow cylinder formed by the fingers 32 and 33. Wiping pad holders 61 are substantially identical with the holders 39, except for curvature, and include wiping pads 62 and 63, with wiping faces 64 and 65, which comprise inner faces for wiping the outer face 24 of the joint. The fingers 55 and 56 are flexible, resilient, spring leaf metal, and are movable toward and away from the common plane of the joint.

As shown in FIGURES 1, 2, and 3, mechanism 68, including the hollow cylindrical member 69, sleeved on the support 26 for axial sliding movement, is provided for selectively and alternately engaging wiping means 31 and 54 with the joint faces 24 or 25. A collar 70 is secured to the rearward end 71, of member 69, by screws 72, there being a counterbored recess 73 in the member 69 for the tip of a connector 75. The connector 75 passes through an axially extending slot 76 in support 26 and is secured to element 77, the element 77 being axially slidable Within Patented Dec. 13, 1966 the bore 78 of the support 26. Thus the member 69, colhr 70, connector 75, and central element 77 form an integral unit axially slidable and rotatable with relation to support 26. The annular recess 73 permits the sleeve 69 to turn relative to the support 26, pin element 77 and connector 75 for advancing or retracting the support 26.

The support 26 includes a pin 80, projecting radially therefrom and received in a helical pin slot 82 in the member 69. When member 69 is turned about the axis of the tool, member 69 and element 77 together move axially on support 26, as they turn relative thereto, to move the wiping fingers radially inwardly or radially outwardly. Member 69 includes the beveled cam surface 83 at the forward end thereof, which engages the corresponding camming surfaces 84 and 85 of the fingers 55 and 56. Element 77 also includes the beveled cam surface 86 at the forward end thereof, which engages the camming surfaces 50 and 51 of the fingers 32 and 33.

As shown in FIGURE 1, when the member 69 is in forward position, the camming face 83 moves the outer fingers 55 and 56 inwardly toward the axis to cause the wiping faces 64 and 65 to resiliently engage the outer face 24 of the pipe 23. The inherent resiliency of the fingers 32 and 33 causes these fingers to move inwardly away from the joint, since the camming surface 83 is spaced from the camming faces 54 and 51 in forward position. As shown in FIGURE 2, when the member 69 and element 77 are in rearward position, the outer fingers 55 and 56 inherently spring outwardly away from the joint, while camming face 86 of element 77 engages cam faces 50 and 51 to move the fingers 32 and 33 outwardly, and thereby engage the wiping faces 46 and 47 with the inner face 25 of the elbow 19.

In FIGURE 5, another embodiment is shown, in which the fingers 90 and 91, corresponding with fingers 32 and 33, are mounted on a support 92, similar to support 26. Fingers 93 and 94, corresponding to fingers 55 and 56, are mounted on the forward end of a hollow sleeve member 95, corresponding to member 69. The pin 96 and pin slot 97 permit the sleeve 95 to be selectively in forward, or rearward, position relative to support 92, and the shaft 98 fits the chuck 21. The fingers 93 and 94 may be laterally spaced to fit in the spaces between the fingers 90 and 91, and the wiping faces 101, 102, 103, and 104 of the fingers are all inherently and normally in a common cylindrical plane defined by the joint 23. In the position illustrated, the inner fingers spring into the joint with the wiping faces 101 and 102 resiliently and yieldably pressing outwardly to wipe the inner face of the joint. When the member 95 is slid forwardly on the support 92, the outer fingers yield to pass over the retracted inner fingers and assume a forward position in which the wiping faces 103 and 104 resiliently and yieldably engage the outer face of the joint.

I claim:

1. A portable hand tool device for wiping a pipe joint or the like, said device comprising an elongated cylindrical support having a shaft at the rearward end thereof, said shaft fitting in the chuck of a power hand drill; first wiping means mounted at the forward end of said support, said means having an outer wiping face adapted to fit within said joint and wipe the inner face thereof; second wiping means mounted on said device, said means having an inner wiping face adapted to fit around said joint and wipe the outer face thereof; and

mechanism, including a hollow cylindrical member, sleeved on said support for axial sliding movement thereon, for moving at least one said wiping means relative to the other, to alternately position said first wiping means to engage the inner face of said joint and said second wiping means to engage the outer face of said joint.

2. A portable hand tool device as specified in claim 1, wherein said second wiping means is mounted on the forward end of said member, portions of the wiping faces of said first and second wiping means are in the same common cylindrical plane, and both of said wiping means include resilient means for yieldably urging the wiping faces thereof toward said common plane. 3. A portable hand tool device as specified in claim 1, wherein said first wiping means includes a plurality of flexible, resilient fingers, supporting the outer wiping faces thereof and norm-ally held outof contact with said joint, said second wiping means includes a plurality of flexible, resilient fingers, supporting the inner wiping faces thereof and normally held out of contact with said joint, and said mechanism includes cam means actuated by said member, for selectively and alternately moving the fingers of said wiping means into wiping contact with said joint. 4. A portable hand tool device as specified in claim 1, wherein each said wiping means comprises a plurality of leaf spring fingers generally outlining a cylinder, a plurality of pad holders, each detachably mounted on one of said fingers, and a plurality of wiping pads, each mounted on one of said holders, and having one of said wiping faces thereon. 5. A portable hand tool device as specified in claim 1, wherein each said wiping means comprises a plurality of resilient leaf spring fingers each having a detachable wiping pad at a free terminal end thereof; each joined to the other at the opposite end thereof to form an attachment flange, and each having a 'camming surface intermediate of said ends, and said mechanism includes cam means, actuated by the relative sliding movement of said member and support, and engaging the camming surfaces of said fingers, for expanding and contracting said fingers to alternately wipe the inside and the outside of said joint. 6. A portable hand tool device as specified in claim 1, wherein said member includes a pin slot; said support includes a pin, received in said slot and slidable therein; and said first and second wiping means are movable toward and away from said joint by relative sliding movement of said support and sleeve, said pin and slot limiting and controlling the extent of such movement. 7. A joint cleaning device comprising an elongated support adapted to be rotated in the chuck of a power hand drill, first cleaning means mounted on said support and including a plurality of laterally spaced, longitudinally extending spring fingers defining a first hollow cylinder, and having joint wiping pads on the outer faces thereof; second cleaning means on said support and including a plurality of laterally spaced, longitudinally extending spring fingers defining a second hollow cylinder, and having joint cleaning pads on the inner faces thereof; said second cylinder being coaxial with, and encircling,

said first cylinder, and the fingers thereof being opposite the spaces between the fingers of said first cylinder; and mechanism on said device, operably connected to said first and second cleaning means for moving said fingers radially toward and away from the. longitudinal, central axis thereof to engage and disengage said pads with the inside and outside of a joint for power cleaning of the same. i

5 6 8. A portable, hand tool device for cleaning pipe joints moving one said cleaning means into cleaning enor the like, said apparatus comprising gagement and moving the other said cleaning means a cylindrical support having a shaft fast to the rearward out of cleaning engagement with their respective joint end thereof, said shaft fitting the chuck of a power faces.

drill; 5 first annular flexible cleaning means mounted at the eferences Cited by the Examiner forward end of said support for cleaning the inner UNITED STATES PATENTS face a 2,635,393 4/1953 Barth 1s-104.04 X

a hollow cylindrical member mounted on said support for axial sliding movement thereon; 3O75219 1/1963 Ott 15*10404 second annular cleaning means mounted on said appara- CHARLES A WILLMUTH Primary Examiner tus for cleaning the outer face of a joint; and mechanism actuated by the relative sliding move- ROBERTS, Assistant Examinerment of said support and members for alternately 

1. A PORTABLE HAND TOOL DEVICE FOR WIPING A PIPE JOINT OR THE LIKE, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED CYLINDRICAL SUPPORT HAVING A SHAFT AT THE REARWARD END THEREOF, SAID SHAFT FITTING IN THE CHUCK OF A POWER HAND DRILL; FIRST WIPING MEANS MOUNTED AT THE FORWARD END OF SAID SUPPORT, SAID MEANS HAVING AN OUTER WIPING FACE ADAPTED TO FIT WITHIN SAID JOINT AND WIPE THE INNER FACE THEREOF; SECOND WIPING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID DEVICE, SAID MEANS HAVING AN INNER WIPING FACE ADAPTED TO FIT AROUND SAID JOINT AND WIPE THE OUTER FACE THEREOF; AND MECHANISM, INCLUDING A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL MEMBER, SLEEVED ON SAID SUPPORT FOR AXIAL SLIDING MOVEMENT THEREON, FOR MOVING AT LEAST ONE SAID WIPING MEANS RELATIVE TO THE OTHER, TO ALTERNATIVELY POSITION SAID FIRST WIPING MEANS TO ENGAGE THE INNER FACE OF SAID JOINT AND SAID SECOND WIPING MEANS TO ENGAGE THE OUTER FACE OF SAID JOINT. 